BAY COUNTY, FLORIDA, is unique. Its surface is diversified
by bays, sounds, lagoons, lakes, rivers and wonderful
springs; with shell hammocks, flat woods and red pebble
lands, such as but few counties in the United States can boast of.
It is to inform tourists and homeseekers of some of the beauties
and possibilities of this wonderful land that this little booklet is
published by the citizenship of Bay County.
Space forbids giving other than brief outlines of the products of
the soil, the output of our industries, or the income from the fish
and oyster business, nor can the climatic conditions be adequately
described.
Investigation is invited. Every one seeking a home in the sunny
south is respectfully urged to visit this famed portion of West
Florida. With its hundreds of miles of shore line there are oppor-
tunities for beautiful water front homes facing the Mexico Gulf,
renowned St. Andrews Bay, or other waters, sufficient to accom-
modate thousands of families.
There are also most valuable fruit, farming and trucking lands,
while the raising of hogs, cattle and poultry are most profitable
ventures. A letter addressed to any of the following named parties
for further information will receive prompt attention.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
Panama City, Fla.
BUSINESS MEN'S CLUB,
Lynn Haven, Fla.
BOARD OF TRADE,
St. Andrews, Fla.
POSTMASTERS AT ALL OTHER TOWNS
MENTIONED IN THIS BOOKLET.

2 3

HISTORICAL
BAY is one of the latest additions to the galaxy, of Florida counties. It was
created by the Legislature of 1913 out of the southern portion of Wash-
ington and the peninsular portion of Calhoun counties.
Though young as a county, its history goes back four hundred years, St.
Andrews Bay being one of the first localities visited in Florida by those attached
to the expeditions of Miurelo in 1516, Pineda in 1519,Navarez in 1529, and De Soto
in 1540, as well as by other Spanish expeditionary forces of the sixteenth century.
Probably the earliest settlement in the county was that on what is now known
as Dyers Point, in the western part of the town of St. Andrews, which was settled
some time in the latter part of the eighteenth century, possibly about 1765.
With the rest of the State, this section has passed under several flags-Spain,
France, England, and our own. During the English occupation from 1763 to
1783, several plantations were opened by officers and privates of the English
army, who were given large tracts of land here, but when this territory was
transferred to Spain, in 1783, these settlers removed, mostly to Jamaica, and
Nature again held sole sway.
With the purchase of Florida by the United States in 1820, a few Georgians
and others, who had known of St. Andrews Bay as a fishing and hunting resort,
removed to various points on the Bay, the most prominent of which was ex-Gov-
ernor John Clark of Georgia, who erected a residence at what is now known as
"Old Town St. Andrews," where he resided until his death in 1839. His grave,
marked by a marble shaft erected by his daughter, still stands on the lot adjoin-
ing his old home place. He was given charge of the live oak along the shores of
the bay by his friend, General Jackson, which timber was then considered of
great value for government ship building purposes.
The only settlement at the time of the war of 1861-1865 was what is now
known as "Old Town" St. Andrews, and this place was completely destroyed
in December, 1862, by a vessel from the blockading fleet stationed at the harbor
entrance. It was not until thirty years ago that the Bay country began to be
exploited, and settlers, homesteaders and others began to come in. Upon the
completion of the Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay Railway from Dothan, Ala., to
Panama City, Florida, in 1908, following the location of mills and naval stores
industries in this section, there was a marked increase in immigration, which by
1912 had increased the population of the Bay section of Washington County to
such an extent that a division of the county was secured, and Bay County formed,
of which Panama City is the county seat.
E 3

-II

SHIPPING, ST. ANDREWS BAY
e 4

There are at present three towns in the county containing over 2,000 inhabi-
tants each, with many smaller villages. The present post-offices in the county
are as follows: Located on St. Andrews Bay, Allanton, Bay Harbor, Bayhead,
Bellisle, Callaway, Cook, Cromanton, Farmdale, High Point, Lynn Haven,
Millville, Murfee, Panama City, Parker, San Bias, Southport, St. Andrews, and
Wetappo. Located inland; Auburn, Betts, Bennett, Econfina, Lake Merial,
Majette, Noles, Pine Log and Youngstown.

DESCRIPTIVE

Bay County lies between the 29th and 31st degrees of latitude, conforming to
that of the northern portion of Mexico, Cairo, Egypt, and the southern portion
of China. The county is thirty-six miles in width and of an average breadth of
twenty-three miles, being bordered on the north by Washington and Jackson
counties, on the east by Calhoun County, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico,
and on the west by Walton County.
St. Andrews Bay, with its east and west arms extending in a southeasterly
and northwesterly direction, nearly bisects the county, the southern portion being
made up of peninsulas, which are divided by bayous, sounds and lagoons. The
north arm of the bay extends for miles in a northeasterly direction; the entire
shore line of the bay, with its bayous, lagoons and coves, makes a shore line
of 500 miles in extent. The principal streams of the county are: Pine Log,
West Bay, Cedar, Econfina, Bear Creek, Bayou George, Sandy and Wetappo
creeks.
There are many small lakes and large springs dotting the surface of the county,
some of the latter being long noted for their medicinal waters. The underground
water supply is abundant, and is reached by artesian wells at Cromanton, Mill-
ville, Panama City, St. Andrews, Lynn Haven, Southport and Bayhead; the
water in the one at the latter point rising some thirty feet above tide water.
The waters of these wells are of the best quality for drinking purposes, and are
already being used for the water supply of the growing cities.
Transportation facilities are now good and constantly being improved. The
Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay Railway runs through the county from the northwest
corner to Panama City in the southern central portion. The Birmingham,
Columbus and St. Andrews road extends in a north and south direction from
the north central portion of the county to Southport on St. Andrews Bay, from
where it is soon to be extended across the bay to Lynn Haven, there connecting
with the line already built from Lynn Haven to near Panama City; a line also
r 5

connects Panama City with St. Andrews. There are regular steamer lines
connecting all bay points with Mobile, Pensacola and Apalachicola, also a
steamer line plying between St. Andrews Bay and New York City. Numerous
launches and power barges ply the waters of the bay, connecting all private and
public wharves with the termini of the railways, and the steamer landings. The
Western Union Telegraph company has offices at all the principal railway
stations, while telephone systems supply communication between all the towns
and settlements. The building of hard roads has begun, and is being carried on
in a most comprehensive manner, so that there will soon be good roads bisecting
the county from north to south and east to west, with various lateral hard roads
intersecting these trunk lines.

~->9

44;L-?j$, 7l.

GRAPE FRUIT FROM GROVE OF G. M. WEST
SE6

SATSUMA ORANGES, CALLAWAY

NE 4-

PONDEROSA LEMONS, YOUNG TREE, LYNN HAVEN
r 7

AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTS

Before the Civil War large numbers
of cattle were shipped from points in
this county to Cuba. Stock raising was
then the main industry of the planters.
Conditions are very favorable for this
industry in this county, as there is much
good land for grazing, which is well
watered, and which furnishes sustenance
for stock nearly the year round. The
raising of hogs has also been quite a
prominent feature with the planters.
The statistics of the county's prod-
ucts, taken by the enumerator in July,

BERMUDA ONIONS, RAISED BY G. M. WEST

PEANUTS, RAISED AT SOUTHPORT

SIXTY BUSHELS OF CORN TO THE ACRE, RAISED AT BELLISLE

S8 ]

1914, show the following as the most important of the crops raised: corn, oats,
sweet potatoes, upland rice, field peas, peanuts, velvet beans, cane, onions,
Irish potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, squash, egg plant, beans, water melons; and
in fruits: oranges, lemons, grape fruit, persimmons, peaches, pears, plums and
figs, together with a large quantity of grapes, strawberries and pecans. In
addition to the bearing trees, the report shows that much has been done in setting
out fruit and nut trees, there being of non-bearing trees nearly 12,000 orange
trees, 1,000 lemons, 2,000 grape fruit, 1,000 pear, 2,500 peach, 1,000 plum,
1,500 fig and 1,400 pecan. Velvet beans, cassava, Kudzu vine, vetch, rape,
winter oats and winter rye, together with millet, furnish an abundant supply of
coarse feed for stock raising.
It has been demonstrated by a few who have taken up intensive farming that
the land of Bay County can be made to produce very large quantities of sweet
potatoes, onions, celery, Irish potatoes, cane and rice to the acre, as well as

Tr

STEAMSHIP WILHELMINA LOADING AT BAY HARBOR FOR NEW YORK

MOORE TIMBER COMPANY'S MILL, BAY HARBOR
E 9 1

* -

-t x i-t

r- .

MIL OF TH ST .. -ES&LMEO ST ANDREW

- --

.* -- ,, ,

MILL OF THE WEST BAY NAVAL ST.OES & LUMBER .., ST. ANDEEWS

almost all other kinds of vegetables, the season for which extends over the entire
twelve months of the year.
There are many varieties of soil, such as are found on the coastal plains of
the Gulf, consisting of sand clay and muck, with all varieties of intermixture.

INDUSTRIAL
For some years this section of West Florida has been noted as the center of
the Naval Stores industry of the United States. There are at present fourteen
naval stores plants in this county, at which nineteen stills are operated.
The manufacture of lumber from the yellow pine timber of Bay County has
been carried on almost continuously at various points on the Bay, for nearly
one hundred years, but it is only within the last twenty years that large modern
mills have been in operation. There are now such mills, cutting from seventy-
five to one hundred thousand feet of lumber per day, at Millville, Mooretown,
St. Andrews, Southport, Fountain, Sherman and Saunders, and smaller mills
at High Point, Panama City and Allanton. Besides supplying the local trade,
these mills cut a large amount of lumber for export, which is taken from Bay
points in steamships and sailing vessels, to various ports in the West Indies and
South America. The manufacture and shipment of railroad ties has also become

T HIS map contains a graphic illustration of the
excellent shipping facilities which St. Andrews
Bay affords. West Bay, North Bay and East Bay
form a perfectly sheltered harbor of larger propor-
tions, easy of access. The entire shore line of St.
Andrews Bay measures more than five hundred
miles. From the wharves of the towns and cities
located on the Bay fruits, produce and merchan-
dise may be shipped without breaking bulk to all
the great seaboard market centers at low freight
rates and in quick time.

12 ]E 3 :

_ __ ____

E 12 3

E 13 1

~L r, C. /

Al

.,i'k~r4'.
(

V.~

r ''" I F' t

~4t

BAY COUNTY PINE WOODS

K,.' "
"`~

: :~~,A

3:. Cr
44,a p

'44 '~ islt

ii; ~P ii

''''''4

~

i
'
~
;
.,

a very important industry. Cargoes are frequently being gathered and shipped
to points on the upper Atlantic coast and to England.
There are ice plants at Panama City and St. Andrews, a cotton compress at
Panama City, and ship ways, launch and boat building shops at various towns
on St. Andrews Bay. Electric lighting plants supply light to St. Andrews, Mill-
ville, Mooretown and Lynn Haven, while other towns are preparing to install
lighting systems. Syrup factories are conveniently located at various points
throughout the county, where the best cane syrup is manufactured from our
unsurpassed cane. Clay suitable for brick is found at a number of places in the
county, and brick are now manufactured at Wetappo.
The fishing industry is also of great importance. There are many smacks

t ;A V
i

= .. t.._. j-A-B .Au
g~*:*.an k~~~r
a, A. ~ --A ,.$&Asb~t-kAA#

* --., 'L - '_. ----" '- .I -'t

"LET'S GO FISHING"
E 15 ]

Pt
'1.

-V

6..

SAND HILLS ON GULF BEACH

p A

S .. . . . .. :
-yLr S "

SEA BATHING, GULF BEACH

employed in this trade, taking their catch on the snapper banks of the Gulf,
while beach fishermen do an extensive business along the shores of the Gulf
and bays. St. Andrews Bay oysters have been noted for their extra fine quality
ever since the Bay began to be visited by white men, and much is now being
done in cultivating this delicious bivalve.

TIMBER
Until within a few years, the entire land in this county was covered by a virgin
forest. The most valuable as well as plentiful trees are the long leaf yellow pine,

E 16 ]

l~: ':-~---i C~ -0

S!I
i

SCHOONER ON

and there are many very f

BARK ENTERING ST. ANDREWS BAY

although there are three other
varieties of pine, twenty of oak,
four of hickory, two of cypress
and poplar, juniper or red cedar,
magnolia, bay and other valuable
timber.
Camphor trees grow luxuri-
antly, and the planting of these
trees has already become a
S---.- .-_:---: promising industry in various
EAST BAY portions of the State. Nut trees
grow well all through the county,
ine pecan groves started.

SPORTS
The many varieties of fish in the waters of this county afford unlimited sport
to the angler. There is everything in the way of fish that one could wish for,
from the gamy tarpon, the silver king, red snappers, groupers, blue fish, redfish,
Spanish mackerel, mullet, sea trout, flounders and many other salt water fish,
with large mouth bass, bream, shellcrackers and other fresh water fish in the
streams of the county, while oystering and clamming can be successfully carried
on by those thus inclined.
F 17 2

E~Os~

FISHING SMACK, WATSON'S BAYOU

k s

! g

-_1_

FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING, PANAMA CITY

-`:`'" -'

"M.t: Sflm: Ia

-- ~ a~~n ~ii

CLUB HOUSE, PANAMA CITY

E 18 ]

:

tv

The sheltered waters of the bays, bayous, sounds, lagoons and rivers, present
unusual attractions to the launch man, canoeist and sailor, while the gulf beach
furnishes one of the best ocean bathing beaches in the world. There are good
hotels and many private boarding houses for the accommodation of the
public.

EAST BAY CANAL, HARBOR
This important waterway is about completed, the government having expended
thereon about five hundred thousand dollars. This canal connects the waters
of the Chattahoochee, Flint, Apalachicola river systems with St. Andrews Bay,
giving five hundred and forty-seven miles of cheap water transportation on
these rivers for the commerce of southeast Alabama, southwest Georgia
and west Florida. Government experts estimate that all cotton in Georgia
west of a line through Macon and Valdosta, can be shipped through St. Andrews
Bay to points reached through the Panama Canal, for less than through
Atlantic ports, and upon the installation of this transportation by canal, Liver-
pool will be as accessible to these sections through this Bay, as to Atlantic
ports.
With the opening of this canal early in 1915, both export and import trade

BAY FRONT HOMES, LYNN HAVEN
E 19 3

4 14. I. f... 7 9- '_

RESIDENCE E. C. TRUESDELL, LYNN HAVEN

with river points will be rehandled at St. Andrews Bay points, totaling many
millions of dollars. St. Andrews is the United States port of entry for this section
with a deputy collector located at that point.
The entrance to St. Andrews Bay has been improved within the past two
years by the government at an expense of two hundred thousand dollars, and
there is now an appropriation of thirty-six thousand dollars available, for work
to be done this winter.
The depth of water on the bar is now twenty-two feet, with a depth in the
harbor, for sixteen miles in length, by one to five in width, of five fathoms and
upward, ranging from thirty to over one hundred feet.
St. Andrews Bay is without question the largest and safest deep water harbor
on the Gulf coast, and the best south of Newport News. Paralleling the gulf
beach, it has two natural barriers between the waters of the gulf and the harbor,
which give ample protection in time of storm.
The officers of the navy who have visited this harbor in the past two years
with their vessels, praise it highly, while it has long been talked of as the only
logical point for a government navy yard and base; its capacity, deep water
close to high shores, which are many miles distant from the harbor entrance,
E 90

making it practically unassailable by a hostile fleet, eminently fit it as the future
site of such adjuncts of our navy.
The meridian of longitude passing close to the west point of Cuba, the turning
point for all vessels bound to or from the canal, passes just east of St. Andrews
Bay, which makes this the nearest port on the north Gulf coast to the Panama
Canal, the distance being but 1,326 miles; a fact that railway systems cannot
fail to recognize and take advantage of by building to this Bay, with the growth
of-traffic through the Panama Canal.

CLIMATE AND HEALTH CONDITIONS
This section of Florida has been noted for a century or more for its healthful-
ness. It has been the resort of those suffering from nervousness, rheumatism,
heart and stomach troubles, bronchitis, etc., and invariably sufferers from these
ailments have found relief in this genial climate.
The mean temperature of Bay County is about 69 degrees, with a maximum
of 98 degrees, and an average minimum of 26 degrees. The average for killing
frost is; first in the autumn, December 4th; last in the spring, February 17th.
The average rainfall is 70 and 1%0 inches. Precipitation is greatest in the winter
and midsummer months.

RESIDENCE G. M. WEST, ST. ANDREWS BAY
I : Z 1 3

AT ONE OF BAY COUNTY'S HOMES
CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND SOCIETIES
Bay County is well supplied with churches. The principal denominations
having houses of worship are the Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Methodist
and Catholic. There are high schools in the larger towns, and in the county
there are forty schools for white children and twelve for negroes. Some of the
schools are being equipped with good libraries.
There are four Masonic lodges in the county, also lodges of Odd Fellows,
K. of P., Woodmen and Owls. The G. A. R. has three posts in the county, and
there are three auxiliary W. R. C. Several ladies improvement associations
are doing excellent work in the way of civic improvement.

OPPORTUNITIES
Bay County offers exceptional opportunities to the man who desires to retire
from work and settle in a land where his days will be lengthened.
It offers grand opportunities to the man with capital to invest in business that
will return good interest on his money.
It offers the best possible chance to the man with small means, who is not
afraid to work, to establish himself and increase his assets.
E 92 1

Land can be purchased from five dollars an acre up. Town lots from twenty-
five dollars upward. Lumber is cheap, likewise other building material.
Investments can be very profitably made in Bay County in sums ranging
from $100 to $1,000,000.
There is pressing need in this county for machine shop; fertilizer factory;
ship yard and ship chandlery; manufactory of pulp and paper from our forest
trees and waste products of sawmills; veneer establishment to manufacture
veneers from the valuable hardwoods of Central America that can be brought
here cheaply by vessel, and through manufacturing here, freight can be greatly
reduced over shipping the logs; furniture factories; canning factories to can
fruit, vegetables, fish, oysters and shrimps; cigar factories;, broom factories;
mattress factories; brick yards; cotton factories; tie and timber exporters;
large tourist hotels; dwelling houses; stock raising; trucking; farming and
nurseries.
The coming metropolis of the north Gulf Coast will be located on St. Andrews
Bay. Visit this important section of our couritry and examine conditions. Our
claims will bear the closest investigation.